A rush, a perennial plant in the genus Juncus used as a material of Tatami, is nontoxic and known to some people to have herbal effects acting as, for example, a diuretic agent and an anti-inflammatory agent.
Recently the sharp change and upgrading of the dietary habit and living environment has increased the number of patients of chronic diseases called lifestyle-related diseases such as hyperpiesia, hyperlipemia and diabetes. One of the major reasons for the lifestyle-related diseases is said to be obesity due to the accumulation of fat in the body through the dietary habits of the Western style diets or a variety of processed foods, the irregular eating habits and the lack of exercise, for example. In addition, active oxygen has been found to have a bad influence, being easily accumulated in the body through the contemporary life.
Active oxygen includes hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion radical and singlet oxygen. In particular the superoxide radical generated while breathing is thought to be a problem.
It has also been found that ingesting foods containing a lot of food additives (in particular chemically-synthesized compounds), alcoholic drinks, and smoking can promote the accumulation of active oxygen in the body. Additionally, sunburn causes ultraviolet rays to generate active oxygen in the body, and stress also is said to generate active oxygen in the body.
Therefore, in the contemporary life, the accumulation of active oxygen is an unavoidable issue, and so a lifestyle including the dietary habits which remove the active oxygen accumulated in the body is desired.
The lifestyle to remove the active oxygen requires ingesting foods free from food additives if possible, to avoid excessive eating, drinking, smoking and sunburn, and to release stress effectively. Further, daily ingestion of foods which can efficiently remove the active oxygen accumulated in the body is more effective.
So recently functional foods and supplements with a variety of herbal efficacy have been developed and provided in increasing demand. Particularly in relation with attack or appearance of symptoms of cancers or lifestyle-related diseases, dietary fiber, which is indigestible, is considered to be important. Further a variety of functional health foods made from plants with active oxygen eliminating action or antimutagenicity are on the market.
Although the same effects can be obtained by taking medicines with a variety of medical efficacy and functions, improper use of the medicines may cause side effects and drug-induced diseases. This is a serious problem. Therefore, instead of depending on such medicines, it is desirable to take natural foods which are free from side effects, capable of raising spontaneous healing power and immunity, and which have high preventive effects.
As prior art related to natural foods with active oxygen removal function or antioxidant function, rice tea made from young rice plants is disclosed in the published patent application (Patent Document 1, for example).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2006-101731